Yeah, the article was trying to be all cutesy about this ("Businesses are opening on Thanksgiving Day this year, isn't that nuts? Well, go get your cheap shiat a day early, folks!"), and the comment slammed home the truth about this: it's taking away one of the few holidays that retail workers got, and they will see nothing out of it beyond getting to hold on to their awful jobs a little while longer.

I caught the Black Friday shopping bug as a child on - wait for it - Thanksgiving. My family would dine on country ham, fried potatoes and the like, then head to the Big Lots in Cynthiana. It wasn't for the door-buster deals or anything; it was just a fun way to spend the afternoon.

I had to allow kentucky.com to see the comments so here is the relevant comment:

Black Friday is one thing. But stop and think before you go shopping on Thanksgiving day. That employee, that manager... they don't want to be there. They are there for one reason only.. their job is forfeit if they aren't. As a furniture manager of Big Lots, I am required by my district manager to be there from 2pm until 11pm Thanksgiving day. Not only that, I am also required to be there the day before and to pull a long shift on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I will miss in it's entirety all of Thanksgiving weekend. No dinner. No family or friends. No football, neither touch with the kids or on TV over a beer with the other family members. No way to travel to see your out of town family

Do not think that I am paid extravagantly for this. I make $11.50 an hour and have been employed by the company for over 4 years. I do not make commission on my sales, so it's not like I can use the extra cash from this day to pay for some vacation later in the year. In truth, other than keeping my job in this extremely tough job market, there is no motivation to be there. I know there are plenty of people that have to work over Thanksgiving: police, firemen, paramedics, hospitals and the like. Gas station attendants, too. But, most of these folks get at least some consideration for their sacrafices becaue they are truly needed by society and typically they at least get some of the weekend off to spend with loved ones.

So, before you show up and make loads of purchases on things that you could get 363 other days of the year (at least Big Lots IS closed on Christmas... for now) and for not much more, think how less likely the company would be to open their doors on what is truly a day that should be spent with their families and loved ones. Are you truly that greedy that you want to buy an off brand TV or a refurbished vacuum cleaner and save maybe 15 bucks between them?

Think about the person you want to be and how you want to treat your fellow man. Then weigh that against saving a few bucks on an item that is most likely not even a gift but a personal "want."

The stores are only open because customers show up that day. If they refuse to show up before Friday, then the sales will happen Friday. Customers drive the hours, not the companies.

And, at least if you DO still show up, be kind to the people serving you. Be patient and give them a smile. If you think standing in line or not getting the last gizmo on sale for $14.99 sucks, imagine what their day has been like. Think back to the fond moments you just spend with your family: the jokes around the table. Seeing your aunt from out of state after a couple of years. The food, the laughter and the love. All the things to be thankful for. Then look at your cashier, or the harried manager trying to make everyone happy in the long lines and think about how they would have liked to have at least a portion of your good day.

A lot of good stuff in TFA's comments section, but this to me was the key bottom line:

If you go to any retailer on Thanksgiving Day, do not, under any circumstances, tell any retail employee that you're "sorry" they have to work. No, you're not. If you were sorry, you wouldn't be there. Actions speak louder than words.

I caught the Black Friday shopping bug as a child on - wait for it - Thanksgiving. My family would dine on country ham, fried potatoes and the like, then head to the Big Lots in Cynthiana. It wasn't for the door-buster deals or anything; it was just a fun way to spend the afternoon.

1. Turkey > Ham on Thanksgiving2. This is the best holiday we have as Americans. No damn gifts, just food and laziness.3. Know too many people that are pissed off about this. I will deliver a scowl to all who are actually shopping on this day.

I caught the Black Friday shopping bug as a child on - wait for it - Thanksgiving. My family would dine on country ham, fried potatoes and the like, then head to the Big Lots in Cynthiana. It wasn't for the door-buster deals or anything; it was just a fun way to spend the afternoon.

How about just not going and doing your shopping online? You will be able to avoid the stampede of overweight gutter trash crushing one another as they kill and maim trying to get the latest doll or stupid ass toy at 20 percent off.

/Christmas shopping done, all online at good discounts.//waiting for the following "herd" vids and death videos from the wal mart stampedes.

2. This is the best holiday we have as Americans. No damn gifts, just food and laziness.3. Know too many people that are pissed off about this. I will deliver a scowl to all who are actually shopping on this day.

I work in technology and get 11 days off (including Christmas week), 2 weeks vaca, and 2 weeks PBA.

Go to school, learn the right things, get a good job.

Don't and you will work on Thanksgiving.

Or quit. As I have said in other threads, there are plenty of people who would be thankful to have a friggin job.

I didn't go to school until after I had my job that gave me 15 days off, 3 weeks vacation, 2 weeks of sick days (paid of course) and they paid for my education. It may surprise you that many people don't know what they want to be doing 15 years from now, so why spend thousands of dollars on something you don't even know you actually are passionate about.

I caught the Black Friday shopping bug as a child on - wait for it - Thanksgiving. My family would dine on country ham, fried potatoes and the like, then head to the Big Lots in Cynthiana. It wasn't for the door-buster deals or anything; it was just a fun way to spend the afternoon.

2. This is the best holiday we have as Americans. No damn gifts, just food and laziness.3. Know too many people that are pissed off about this. I will deliver a scowl to all who are actually shopping on this day.

FTFM

My family has always had turkey AND ham on Thanksgiving.

Goose and ham for Christmas.

Turkey and Ham on Thanksgiving is the best.. Better if the ham is Honey Ham. Sweet honey ham and turkey makes me a very full man on that day.

Not that it matters much, as I haven't been out on Black Friday since I worked the retail side of it, but I prefer Cyber Monday anyway. By then, most people have come back from the holiday. Then I can do my biz from the privacy of my own home, mostly nude, beer in hand, something else in my other, and when the people working CAN fill my order, they do. Instead of having to wait on me hand and foot.

I'm being extremely hypocritical this Black Friday (though technically Thursday); I've never had a chance to experience Black Friday from the other side of the counter. Every year for the last 12-ish years I've had to work day after Thanksgiving, usually opening. I can't even remember the last Thanksgiving I've spent with Family. Regardless, I've always wanted to do this waking up early and going out shopping thing, even once. This year the stores are open on Thursday, and being as how I have to open Friday morning and have nothing to do on Thursday, I actually get to go out and brave the crowds on Thursday for a PS3. So yeah, I feel for the people that work that day, but most of us know what we are getting into. I never make plans to see family during the Holiday season, because I know as a retail worker this is crunch time. When things calm down and I have no school going on (spring or summer break) I can travel to see my family. Luckily, this is my last holiday as a retail worker as if things go my way I should be a grad student next year; it should be interesting seeing my family during a Thanksgiving for once. So yeah, I hate Black Friday, but only because I've had to deal with it as a worker; this year I get to be a shopper. I understand as a retail worker what's expected of me; some people fail to realize that until there's some major social changes retail workers are not too far above migrant farm workers and fast food workers on the social totem pole.

I've worked retail most of my life. I'm against the Thursday openings for the obvious reasons Vladster stated, but as a salesperson, I loved Black Friday. Nonstop, people looking to spend money, and a great kickoff to the busiest few weeks of the year. This is the time of year when you control the sale. If someone's being an asshat, you can throw them out and there are a dozen other people waiting to give you their money. In the 80's this was also a month of nonstop parties, drinking, and imbibing. The only thing missing was sleep. Seriously, if you're in retail and you hate Black Friday, you need to find another job.

Summer Glau's Love Slave:I think that shopping on Thanksgiving is a good idea. Shoppers get a leg up on the X-Mas rush, and I get some quality alone time to break into their homes and steal all their stuff. It's win win!

/Last year I finished all of my 'Holiday Shopping" by Friday at 3:00 AM.//And all I had to pay for was a crowbar and some gas.

Too much effort.

Just go to the mall & clean out the overstuffed cars. Hit a couple of SUVs and you're done.